Councillor Naeem Akhtar is to be the new Cabinet Member for the Housing and Communities portfolio.
The appointment comes after the current holder of the post, Cllr David Welsh, announced he is to resign from the position, and of that as a councillor, at the end of the month to concentrate on his new career in the legal profession.
The Housing and Communities portfolio covers the arts, heritage, museums, conservation, community and voluntary sector relations, community centres, refugees and asylum seekers, welfare advice services, housing and homelessness, and planning policy.
Cllr Welsh has represented St Michael’s ward since 2010 and has successfully been elected four times. He has been Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities since 2020.
He said: “It has been the honour of my life to have represented the people of St Michael’s and hopefully I have played a part in improving the outcomes and opportunities for residents in the city.
“I have had the pleasure of representing a brilliant ward and of working with residents, partners and politicians over the years and that is what I will miss the most. It has been a real privilege to serve in cabinet but I’m not moving away and I now look forward to seeing how Coventry flourishes going forward.“I have absolutely no doubt that Naeem will do a brilliant job. It’s one of the very best areas to work in and tackles the real issues that many people face day in and day out and I am sure Naeem will bring with him lots of new ideas.”
Cllr Akhtar, a fellow St Michael’s ward councillor and current Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to such an important Cabinet Member role and I’m looking forward to carrying on the great work David has overseen during the last four years.
“Some of the areas face significant challenges in the coming months and years and I look forward to working with colleagues and partners to achieve the best outcomes we can for the city.”
Councillor George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said “Although this is a wonderful opportunity for David, he will be missed as he has always worked so hard as a councillor and Cabinet Member.
“I would like to place on record my thanks for everything he has done, and I am sure he will be a success in his new career. I’m also sure Naeem will prove to be a worthy successor to carry on the good work as he has demonstrated his ability in the important role of Chair of Scrutiny over the last few years.”